Smriti Mandhana Stunned After DRS Results In Freak Dismissal In India vs Australia Women’s World Cup..
Chasing a 339-run target against Australia in the semi-final of the Women’s World Cup 2025, India got off to a good start with Smriti Mandhana leading the charge. However, in the 10th over, a freak dismissal saw her depart. Australia’s Kim Garth erred with the line on the second ball of the 10th over, and the umpire gave it a wide. However, Australia captain Alyssa Healy, after much discussion, opted for the DRS. The UltraEdge showed a small spike when Mandhana’s bat was close to the ball. Mandhana couldn’t believe it and shook her head in disbelief.
The ball that dismissed Smriti Mandhana was clocked at 159.6 kmph — absolutely unplayable delivery #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/SB3q6osKQM
— ICC Asia Cricket (@ICCAsiaCricket) October 30, 2025
Earlier, Phoebe Litchfield’s scintillating 119 and half-centuries from the venerable Ellyse Perry (77) and Ashleigh Gardner (63) helped Australia set a 339-run target against a sloppy India in the second Women’s World Cup semi-final on Thursday. If not for a tidy third spell of 3-0-9-2, in which Shree Charani (2/49) dismissed Beth Mooney (24) and the in-form Annabel Sutherland (3), Australia might have finished with far more than they managed.
While the left-arm spinner displayed great control to help India regain some momentum, the other Indian bowlers struggled on a track that offered no assistance, and several elementary errors in the field made matters worse for the hosts.
In fact, Charani’s spell came amid a slowdown for Australia, who had slipped from 220 for two to 265 for six at one stage. But Gardner’s quickfire 63 off 45 balls, featuring four sixes and as many fours, powered them past 300.
Australia were bowled out for 338 with one ball left in their innings.
It all began with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur spilling a regulation catch in the third over to give Alyssa Healy a lifeline. But the Australian captain, returning to the playing XI, fell cheaply in the sixth over.
Undeterred by the early blow, Litchfield’s third ODI ton-which came off a mere 77 balls-set the platform for Australia to launch themselves to a huge total.
The 22-year-old came into this knockout game with only a fifty to her name in the competition but batted as if she were in a purple patch.
There wasn’t an area Litchfield didn’t explore for runs, and there was hardly a stroke she didn’t execute to perfection.
A fine exponent of the reverse sweep, Litchfield thought she had played one straight to Amanjot Kaur off Charani on the final ball of the 16th over when she was on 62 and walked back, only to be recalled by the umpires as the ball had hit the turf before flying into the hands of the fielder at short third man.
Litchfield’s high-quality knock included 17 fours and three sixes. Her lofted hits over the infield in the cover region were as spectacular as the two sixes she hit down the ground, one of which came on the second ball of the 27th over off Deepti Sharma.
Litchfield put on 155 for the second wicket with Perry, who made a valuable 77 off 88 balls (6x4s, 2x6s).
With PTI inputs
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